Paul B. Brown: I am one of the co-authors of Just Start: Take action; embrace uncertainity and create the future, as well as an extremely proud Forbes alum. A former writer and editor at Business Week, Inc. and Financial World, in addition to my six years at Forbes, I've also written, co-written and “ghosted” numerous best-sellers including Customers for Life (with Carl Sewell.) A long-time contributor to The New York Times, I am also a contributing editor to both The Conference Board Review (where I also write a column) and M.I.T.’s Sloan Management Review.
Len Schlesinger: I am president of Babson College, widely recognized as the world’s leading educational institution for entrepreneurship. I formerly served as vice chairman and chief operating officer of Limited Brands.
Charles Kiefer: I am President of Innovation Associates, Inc., a firm I founded the firm in 1976. Along with Peter Senge, author of The Fifth Discipline. The IA staff pioneered the body of concepts and methods now called organizational learning that enable large organizations to innovate, and to change from being driven by circumstance and managed through compliance, to being characterized by aspiration and deep commitment.

How Extremely Successful People Turn Obstacles Into Assets

We aren’t big on clichés like “every time God closes a door he opens a window,” or “there are no problems, only opportunities.”

Extremely successful people say this sign is a very good thing.

People who succeed at work and in life believe and act as if “everything is a gift.” Well, maybe not every single thing imaginable. But assuming that everything is a gift is a good way of looking at the problems and surprises you’ll encounter in any endeavor, such as getting a new venture off the ground, obtaining buy-in with your boss, or launching a new product line in an ultra-competitive market.

Why take this seemingly Pollyannaish approach? There are three key reasons.

First, you were going to find out eventually what people did and did not like about your idea. Better to learn it as soon as possible, before you sink more resources into the idea, venture or product line, etc. You always want to keep potential loses to a minimum.

Second, the feedback could take you in another direction, or serve as a barrier to your competitors. You thought you wanted to start a public relations firm but a quick survey told you potential customers thought the field was saturated. But more than a few of them said they would love someone who could help with their internal communications.

Third, you got evidence. True, it was not what you were expecting or even wanted, but that still puts you ahead of the person who is just thinking about doing something (like opening another p.r. firm.) You know something they don’t, and that is an asset. You are ahead of the game.

But what if it’s really bad news?. It’s a disappointment. You were absolutely certain that your boss would approve your idea for a new software program, and she said no in a way that is still echoing down the corridor. No reasonable person can define what you’ve encountered as anything but a problem, and most people will try to solve the problem. (“Maybe she will like the idea if I go at it this way instead.”) That’s fine if you can. The problem has gone away and, again, you’ve learned something that others might not know. (The boss hates Y, but she loves Z.)

But what if you can’t solve it? (She hated “Z,” too.) Accept the situation to the point of embracing it. Take as a given that it won’t ever change, and turn it into an asset. What can you do with the “fact” that it won’t ever change? Maybe it presents a heretofore unseen opportunity. Maybe you build it into your product or service in a way that no competitor (having not acted) could imagine. Could you do it on your own? Could you take the idea to a competitor and use it as your calling card to look for the next job?

The thing to remember is this: Successful people work with what they have at hand— whatever comes along—and try to use everything at their disposal in achieving their goals. And that is why they are grateful for surprises, obstacles, and even disappointments. It gives them more information and resources to draw upon.

Post Your Comment

Post Your Reply

Forbes writers have the ability to call out member comments they find particularly interesting. Called-out comments are highlighted across the Forbes network. You'll be notified if your comment is called out.

Comments

Reading it was like re-reading moments and situations in a successful year in my life, I am surprised and at the right time as he confirms that what I’m doing today and how they lived, has always faced the right way. When we begin to live a desired change or not, I do not accept, at the unconscious level we are dependent on the situation, I spent six months to metabolize, respond to, forgive, determined to reach the end of my path of growth, I am grateful for having had this great opportunity of information. Today I feel like a child who knows that his greatest desire is to achieve, thanks to the year just past.

You’re talking about human nature and what drives it. There has to be a reason we strive to succeed and give our energies over to business or charity. Some inward need to over come all road blocks. The inner person has to wake up and face their fears, then go into battle to make their place where they choose. There’s no accounting for free will or what drives it. Its interesting to note that highly driven people don’t fit in at most work places. They’re seen as abrasive or boat rockers regardless of wheather or not they can do miracles for those concerned.

Thanks for the comment. Actually, I think we know what drives free will: desire. (I promise I will write about this…probably next week) Without the desire to do something, people don’t do anything, or at least they don’t do it well. Please let me know what you think when you read the post on this next week.

A robbery was the best thing that every happened to me. I had the “Break-in Sale & Contest” which got the attention of the local media. I was dubbed “Famous” Alice and suddenly I had a “sticky” personal brand and a good story to go with it.

This is really hitting home. I’m in the process of a really intense Kickstarter hardware launch for wearable tech and I’m receiving amazing feedback – although it’s not translating into the kind of success I was hoping for. Clearly, there is a gigantic barrier to entry to create a deceptively simple product that combines human-centered design and advanced electronics. So interesting!